Month: February, 2016

My students are in the process of presenting their non fiction eBooks they created during our non fiction unit. Big thanks to Pernille Ripp for the incredible idea! I am once again using Live Stream to engage parents and flatten my classroom walls to bring the presentations to THEM!

Where Does Live Stream Fit In?

In an ongoing effort to flatten my classroom walls and engage parents in creative and interesting ways, I decided to create a LiveStream account, which gives you the ability to watch or stream live events. Here is a link to use that documents the steps to use to start an account.

After creating an account, click create event, give a name for your event, provide a date range, upload an image, and voila, you have just created an event. Click the “Ok, Let’s Go” and share the event link with parents. I used my Remind account, Twitter, and my classroom website to inform parents of our event. I also created a shared google doc with a schedule that the kids will be sharing. Within 10 minutes, I had over 20 parents viewing the live feed.

That’s it. I use the free account, but if you upgrade there are some great, customization features. Please click the link below for our first Live Stream video with students presenting their reports! I’d love to hear how you are using Live Stream in your classroom to engage parents.

Here is a sample from the first round of presentations. I am proud of my student’s efforts. A powerful reflection conversation occurred right after the presentations. Students highlight what they thought went well and what can be improved.

Furthermore, I created a google form to evaluate the students while they were presenting to easily organize my information. I am also going to have the students self assess and then combine the two grades collaboratively.

I am a passionate teacher in Stamford, CT. I teach fifth grade ELA/Social Studies. I am proud to be an active member of the Twitter educational community. I am an organizer for #EdCampSWCT, a moderator for #ctedu, technology professional develop leader in my district, and a believer in a high tech/high touch blended learning approach to teaching. I was nominated for the Bammy of 2015 Elementary School Teacher of the Year. I was Stamford, CT Teacher of the Year in 2014. I am a certified administrator and presenter. I have presented at various conferences in the tri-state area about literacy and technology. I believe in taking risks and working collaboratively to augment student achievement. I love children’s literature and strive to become better everyday. I am a husband and father. Follow me on Twitter @mrsapia_teach